The VVIP Air India One aircraft that will be used to fly the president, vice president and prime minister, arrived in Delhi from the United States on Thursday, government officials said.
Aircraft maker Boeing had planned to deliver the B777 aircraft to Air India in July, but its delivery was delayed twice: once in July for a few weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic and then in August for a few weeks due to technical reasons. . – pointed out the officials.
It is equipped with an advanced communication system that allows you to take advantage of the over-the-air audio and video communication function without being hacked.
See the arrival of the Air India One aircraft here:
Air India One, which is the plane’s call sign, landed at Delhi Airport from Texas around 3 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. Currently, it will be used to fly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and other top dignitaries of the country.
Senior officials from the national airline arrived in the United States during the first half of August to receive the Boeing plane, the officials said.
Boeing is likely to receive another custom-made B777 aircraft for the VVIP trip at a later date, they noted.
These two aircraft were part of Air India’s commercial fleet for a few months in 2018 before being shipped back to Boeing to be adapted for VVIP travel.
Officials said the total cost of purchasing and upgrading the two planes is estimated to be around ₹8,400 crore.
The B777 aircraft will feature next-generation missile defense systems called Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) and Self-Protection Suites (SPS).
In February, the United States agreed to sell the two defense systems to India at a cost of $ 190 million.
During the VVIP trip, the two B777 jets will be operated by pilots from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and not Air India, an official said.
Currently, the President, Vice President and Prime Minister fly on Air India’s B747 aircraft, which have the Air India One call sign.
Air India pilots fly these B747 aircraft for dignitaries and Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) maintains them.
When these B747 aircraft are not flying dignitaries, they are used by the Indian national airline for commercial operations.
The custom-built B777 aircraft will be used for dignitaries’ travel only.
The Center has already started the divestment process of its stake in Air India, which has a debt of more than ₹60,000 crore. However, the process has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
(With inputs from agencies)
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